A drop of oil placed on the surface of water spreads out. But a drop of water placed on oil contracts to a spherical shape. Why?
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Step 1
When a drop of oil is placed on the surface of water, the oil spreads out because it is less dense than water and does not mix with water due to their different polarities (oil is nonpolar, while water is polar). This causes the oil to spread out and form a thin Show more…
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